Youth wrestling team to vie with Oroville police, fire in tug-of-war

OROVILLE -- The Oroville Area Youth Wrestling Wildcat team put out a Tug-of-War challenge to the Oroville Fire Department and the Oroville Police Department.

The Wildcats will face both public safety agencies at their practice at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Mooretown Rancheria Tribal Gymnasium, 1 Alverda Drive.

The tug-of-war will be the best two out of three with the Wildcats separately challenging the Fire Department and the Police Department.

The losers will give the winners 10 pushups, and it is expected that both departments will be donating money to the Wildcat Wrestling organization.

It has been mentioned that the police and fire departments will come up with some great surprises to keep the crowd and wrestlers interested.

"We have been looking for a youth program in Oroville to sponsor and when the wrestlers approached us about this event it was a no-brainer," said Aaron Copeland, president of the Oroville Firefighters Association.

This is why they have the Chili Cook-Off every year, to raise money for the local youth. Traditionally they donate the money to the Burn Foundation, but this year they decided to keep the money in Oroville, Copeland said.

Oroville police Sgt. John Bruschi has four kids on the team. "Two of us at OPD have kids on the Wildcats Wrestling Team so we are looking forward to this challenge.

The law enforcement community in Butte County is very active in youth and high school wrestling and many local police officers wrestled in high school, Bruschi said.

"It is always great for young kids to see or meet a police officer in this type of scenario, let alone to stand a chance of beating the cops in a strong-man contest," Bruschi said.

The Wildcats have more than 65 kids in the organization and are excited to compete against local public-safety men and women.

The tug-of-war challenge will get the kids pumped up and ready for a wrestling tournament Saturday.

The first Wildcat Wrestling Elementary Tournament is for sixth-grade and under. It will start at 9 a.m. at Las Plumas High School. The top three teams will win trophies, first through fourth place will win medals and outstanding wrestler in each division will win awards.

Admission is $2 for adults, and kids 18 and under are free. For more information regarding the tournament, contact Jayme Boucher at 990-6099.